Komatsu KDC 614TA.... What's the story on this engine?

[Homer Dokes]

Greetings all.

Have had a bit of a hiatus through the holiday's but back at it. I have come across a diesel engine that needs some work. It is a Komatsu KDC 614TA with the serial number 45164056. I have tried to research this engine and aside from shop manuals that speak to it and prove it's authenticity.... I can find absolutely nothing on line regarding this engine. Near as I can tell it's origins are with Cummins however it looks to have been a special order by Komatsu, the Cummins serial number removed and replaced with a Komatsu and it is my understanding that Cummins will have nothing to do nor will they provide support for this engine. It looks like it was used only in a particular Komatsu wheel loader and a Komatsu excavator.

Is anyone familiar with this engine and if so can you provide any history on it? Also... does anyone know if parts such as a gasket kit can be had for it?

 

[Welder Dave]

What do you want the engine for? If it's difficult to get parts and info on you're better off with a more popular engine. If you hope to fix it and sell it you'll have a very small number of potential buyers.

 

[Homer Dokes]

Did I say I want the engine? I'm just trying to fix it for another. I find it more an anomaly than anything else. I have a hard time understanding how an engine from such a reputable outfit doesn't have an internet foot print.

 

[Welder Dave]

You were pretty vague about the engine or what it was in. Info on the engine might come from the manuals for the machine(s) the engine was used in.

 

[Homer Dokes]

I was vague as I am just trying to figure out the history of the engine itself. It's as tho it never existed. Every parts resource I have has no info on it at all. And I have been corrected in this forum many times on how if you don't have a serial number and model number of the engine that no info can be had... so I provided that.

 

[DM&RDBulldog]

Try running that serial number as a Cummins. The Komatsu engines ive seen in person had a five digit serial number. One of my guys says the KDA614 is a Cummins L10 with a few specific Komatsu parts in the fuel system.

 

[Homer Dokes]

Try running that serial number as a Cummins.

I tried to run it against Cummins and there is no match. Apparently Cummins engines have a prefix in the serial number which this engine does not. I also have come to understand that for Cummins engines that made it to Komatsu, Komatsu removed Cummins serial number and applied their own.

 

[Welder Dave]

What machine was the engine from?

 

[Homer Dokes]

What machine was the engine from?

A Komatsu PC300LC-5LC. Serial # A30206

 

[Simon C]

Is there suppose to be a " 0 " after the 614 for their 140 series individual cylinder head engine. Just asking as I overhauled a couple of these. Those size excavators often had the S6D125 Series engine also which is an individual cylinder head engine.
Simon C

 

[Homer Dokes]

Is there suppose to be a " 0 " after the 614 for their 140 series individual cylinder head engine.

I had hoped that was the case and like you, I thought initially it was an S6D125 only to find out otherwise on the name plate. No '0'. 'TA' after the 614.

 

[Simon C]

Is it individual head per cylinder or one piece head?
Simon C

 

[John C.]

As I recall the PC300-5 ran a SA6D108 Komatsu diesel engine that used a single head for all the cylinders. I don't know of any PC300-5 that came through my territory that had any other engine. I recall the PC300-6 machines running the C series Cummins clone engines.

A Cummins M11 engine was tried in the PC400-5 on one machine that I know of. I was hired by the dealer to document the excessive blow by and engine oil consumption as a third part disinterested party to provide backup for warranty claims of defective workmanship or materials. The regular engine used in the PC400-5 was the SA6D125 which had six individual heads.

I am not familiar or probably don't recall any Komatsu engine designated as a 614 but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

 

[Homer Dokes]

Is it individual head per cylinder or one piece head?

Honestly, I will have to go back and look. I concentrated my attention on the underside of it as that is where it's issues are. I seem to recall that it is one head but I can't be certain.

 

[Homer Dokes]

I have successfully found engine parts for this engine from an outfit called KMP Brand out of Texas. I initially called them as they boasted parts for the S6D125 and other variants and I wanted to see if they had heard of this engine. The guy I talked to hadn't had any activity in this area but as he took the time to research after the conversation he called me back and indicated they did indeed have parts for the engine including gasket kits. I've ordered it and the price, I thought, was quite reasonable. We'll see how good they are when they arrive.

 

[Simon C]

I have successfully found engine parts for this engine from an outfit called KMP Brand out of Texas. I initially called them as they boasted parts for the S6D125 and other variants and I wanted to see if they had heard of this engine. The guy I talked to hadn't had any activity in this area but as he took the time to research after the conversation he called me back and indicated they did indeed have parts for the engine including gasket kits. I've ordered it and the price, I thought, was quite reasonable. We'll see how good they are when they arrive.

Let the fun begin. Make sure you check every ring in a cylinder for gap as I can assure you I have worked with multiples of their parts and always find something off in quality control. They are not the worst but not quite Genuine in terms of quality. Pay special attention to head gasket hole locations for oil galleries and coolant passages.
Crank thrust washers were way off, but they were way off on genuine ones also on D155 for the 7 that I rebuilt. Double check everything.
Simon C

 

[Homer Dokes]

Double check everything.

Hi Simon. Thank you for the feedback. I will be looking at all those criteria. Nice to know someone that has experience with this outfit and can speak to it. We pull the engine tomorrow and I expect the parts to be in our facility no later than next Monday or so. I will document and convey our experience as well. I still find it very odd that I can't even get so much as a weight on this particular engine.

 

[Simon C]

Hi Simon. Thank you for the feedback. I will be looking at all those criteria. Nice to know someone that has experience with this outfit and can speak to it. We pull the engine tomorrow and I expect the parts to be in our facility no later than next Monday or so. I will document and convey our experience as well. I still find it very odd that I can't even get so much as a weight on this particular engine.

It is an odd ball engine no doubt, does not mean they were no good. Sometimes companies change their mind based on world economics rather than whether the engine is good design or not.
Simon C

 

[John C.]

Could post a photo of it when you get it out. I'd like to be able to at least be able to identify it if I see one in the future.

 

[LACHAU]

This KDC 614 TA engine is a design from the Dresser Company.

Komatsu Dresser was a joint venture (1988-1994) between Komatsu Limited and Dresser Industries to manufacture construction and mining equipment, including dump trucks (e.g., Dresser 210M) and bulldozers. Komatsu acquired all of Dresser's shares in August 1994, integrating these product lines into the Komatsu brand. Older parts and machinery are still identified under the KDC (Komatsu Dresser Company) brand.

Only the PC300-5 machine intended for the US market was fitted with this KDC 614 engine.